Memorial Day BBQ Prices Soar Amidst Rising Grocery Costs
- Data shows a more than 10% cost increase in Memorial Day staples.
- The price of BBQ essentials has jumped by 50% in one year.
- Cookouts this Memorial Day are more expensive due to surging grocery prices.
Having friends and family over for a Memorial Day barbecue will cost more this year. Prices of grilling essentials like ground beef, hot dogs, buns, relish, ketchup, and mustard have gone up by over 10% compared to last year. This data comes from Datasembly, which tracks prices from over 150,000 stores in the U.S. Last year, beef prices went down, but now they are up by nearly 15%. The biggest price increase is seen in condiments, with relish being almost 49% more expensive than last year. Ketchup and mustard prices have also gone up, but by smaller amounts - 1.8% and 3.2% respectively. Depending on where you shop, a bottle of Heinz Organic Tomato Ketchup can cost around $7.66 on average, but can go up to $10. A jar of Vlasic Dill Pickle Relish averages $1.82. Burgers now cost over 14% more than last year. Datasembly predicts that this year's Memorial Day barbecue will cost the average American family about $30.18, which is over 10% more than in 2023. The overall cost of groceries has increased by over 20% since the beginning of 2021. In April 2024, the U.S. inflation rate was at 3.4%, slightly lower than the 3.5% in March.